The storage and retrieval capabilities of order fulfillment systems must keep up with the demand of the ever increasing variety of products available, such as pharmaceutical products; cosmetics; contact lenses; clothing; audio and video media; books; and many more products. Increasing demand correspondingly creates a need to increase the storage and retrieval capabilities of order fulfillment facilities stocking such products. Warehouse systems have been automated and, more particularly, are controlled by various computerized systems, to facilitate retrieval.
Many order fulfillment facilities are “fixed” in the sense that their various elements (storage magazines in particular) are not easily rearranged or supplemented to meet changing demand. Demand for some products may also be cyclical. The cyclical demand may be caused by, for example, holidays. The cyclical demand correspondingly creates a need for additional, but temporary, increases in storage and retrieval capabilities of the order fulfillment facilities.
Thus, a need exists for a mobile automatic order selection system that can be added to or removed from a fixed automatic order selection system as demand increases or decreases.